Death of Stars
by kittikat8531
Summary: 6th in the TTT series. Nine months after the Dead Moon Circus' defeat, the Senshi and their allies had a period of unprecedented peace. All of that crashes down around them when Mamoru dies under mysterious circumstances. They don't know what they're up against and when people start turning against them they don't know what to do. All they know is bad things are coming. Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Welcome back, and I'm sorry for the wait, but inspiration was rather thin on the ground over the past several months. As I'm sure you know if you're looking at this, this is the next in the Time Travel Trouble series, covering the Sailor Stars arc. I'll be taking bits of both the anime and manga as well as (of course) throwing in my own twists. This story takes place about nine months after the conclusion of Golden Ascension. Now, I'm not convinced this is ready yet, but I'm looking for your guys' feedback, regarding both plot and the title. I didn't have any better ideas.

Disclaimer: The world spins on and Sailor Moon still doesn't belong to me.

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Usagi laughed helplessly as she spun into her boyfriend hard enough to send both of them skidding back. Mamoru smiled down at her as they came to a stop.

"You're still a klutz, Odango."

"Only if you're there to catch me," the blonde said with a teasing grin.

"Does that mean you'll be graceful while I'm gone? I should get one of the girls to take pictures and send them to me," he joked.

He wasn't serious, of course, but his words were sobering nonetheless. Mamoru had been accepted into a study abroad program in America for a semester; he wouldn't be back until June. He was flying out in less than a day.

"Hey." She looked up at him, startled. "We're here to have fun before I go, remember?"

Laughing behind them drew their attention. Minako was trying to coax her boyfriend into skating with her as Makoto and Masato slid by, perfectly in sync. Ami and Zane were sitting on a bench behind the partition, sipping hot chocolate as they chatted quietly. They'd tried joining the others, but it wasn't really something Zane enjoyed. Ami had elected to stay with him. Rei and Jomei had their skates on, but instead of taking advantage of that they were having one of their endless arguments.

As a treat before Mamoru left, Keiji had rented a skating rink for the afternoon and arranged a private party for the ten of them. Haruka and the others had been invited, but they'd declined. Usagi and Mamoru were together, of course, but she kept alternating between princess-like grace and being completely incapable of keeping her feet under her. They would both have bruises come morning, but they were having too much fun to care.

"Mina, this is not one of your better ideas," Keiji maintained as he finally gave in to her repeated requests that they try pair skating.

"Usagi-chan and Mamoru-san are doing it."

"Mamoru-sama is far more accustomed to catching Usagi-hime and other such activities than I." He didn't bother adding that Mina wasn't even capable of occasional grace like her princess's when it came to skating. Athletic though she was, her home planet didn't have a lot of ice to practice on.

"Hey! No titles!" Usagi shouted over to them.

Minako finally got him moving, and all the others stopped to see how it went. Keiji's frown deepened a little as he carefully slid across the ice. Makoto decided out loud that he was perfectly capable, but too stiff to really be good. Jomei laughed and looked like he was going to say something stupid, so Masato threw an empty cup at him before he managed to make their boss angry. He was much more reasonable than the blond, and he didn't want to be woken up before dawn someday soon for a twenty kilometer run or something equally unpleasant. Jomei toned it down to a snicker.

Glad their friends were enjoying themselves, Usagi turned back to her boyfriend. "I'm going to miss you, Mamo-chan."

"I know." He studied her, worried. "I could stay if it bothers you."

"You shouldn't have to give up your dreams," she told him. "It's been nine months since Nehellenia; we're at peace. Take the chance while you have it."

"What if something happens?"

"We can manage on our own until you come back. Haruka and the others are in Tokyo, after all. We should have enough firepower to manage a few fights."

"I wouldn't be here to protect you, though."

"You're acting like an attack is already happening. We'll be fine."

Her expression made it obvious she didn't want to discuss the topic anymore, so he twirled her out before pulling her against him again. He nodded toward the leaders of their respective guards, a wicked glint in his eye.

"What do you say we show them how it's done?"

She giggled, sliding back until she was at arm's length. He gave her a courtly bow; she swept an elegant curtsey that shouldn't have been possible in a short skating outfit – not to mention the skates themselves. Channeling Serenity and Endymion's recollections of days spent skating on the moon, they moved without thought into a perfectly matched routine.

Makoto wolf-whistled as she sped by.

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The party had been the others' goodbyes, so Usagi was the only one who accompanied Mamoru in the morning. Chibiusa had returned to her time months ago – what other family did he have to see him off?

It was early enough that the airport was largely empty. They sat in the spacious waiting area, fingers intertwined. They didn't normally stay quiet, but Usagi worried that if she said anything she'd crack. Despite her encouraging him to take the offer, she knew it would be hard for her while he was gone. He was her rock.

When his flight to New York was called, they both got to their feet, but Usagi lingered. "I wish you'd reconsider letting one of the guys go with you."

"I'd rather have them here. Trouble follows you, Usako," he said with a smile.

She managed a laugh, but her expression turned serious again a second later. "I just have a bad feeling about this."

"I told you I can stay."

"I don't want you to lose this sort of opportunity because I'm worried."

He glanced around before studying her. "You haven't had some sort of vision, have you? Is something going to happen?"

Usagi shook her head quickly. "No, nothing like that. It's just… a bad feeling. I mean, we haven't been apart for more than a week since we met if you ignore the time you spent in the Dark Kingdom. I'm not used to it."

"I'll think of you all the time," he promised.

She nodded as tears slipped down her cheeks. She brushed at them futilely. "Oh, I'm sorry; I promised myself I'd see you off with a smile."

"It doesn't matter," Mamoru assured her. "I'll stay in contact as much as I can, but I'll be busy. I might not be able to write very often."

/We always have this,/ she said silently.

/Every night if it'll make you happy./

It made her smile again, but she shook her head. "You'll be busy. If you want to talk, though, you know I'm always a thought away."

"I know." He brushed the last lingering droplets from her face with a gentle touch before reaching in his pocket and offering her a small velvet box. "Here."

"What is it?"

"Open it and see."

The blonde took the little case uncertainly and lifted the top. A lovely pink heart-shaped gem shone in the center of a ring of smaller crystals – diamonds, she thought – set in a slim gold band. She stared at the gift in awe as Mamoru set down his suitcase and took it, slipping it onto the ring finger of her left hand.

"I – it's beautiful."

"It's a promise ring. When I come back we can really think about our future together." He looked straight into her eyes. "After this I don't want to be away from you ever again. I love you, Usako."

"Oh, Mamo-chan," she breathed. "I love you too."

He kissed her, ignoring the fact that they were in a public place. All he could think about was that it would be six months before he saw her again, six months without her smile and the look in her eyes when he told her how much he loved her. She wasn't the only one nervous about the separation, but he agreed that it was too valuable an opportunity to pass up.

They broke apart as his flight was called again, and he managed a dry laugh at the startled look on her face. "Time to go."

"Yeah…" she said softly. It took her a second, but she managed to get her smile back in place. "Goodbye, Mamo-chan. I'll be waiting when you come home."

There was so much else he could say, but he couldn't bring himself to. She knew anyway. "Goodbye, Usako."

He picked up his luggage and walked away, each step feeling like a mile coming between them. Another man brushed past him as he handed over his boarding pass, fighting the urge to look back. If he saw her crying again he'd stay, no matter how amazing of a chance the trip was. There would be time for everything later.

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She watched until he was out of sight, making sure her smile didn't crack until he was gone. The tears slipped past her guard as soon as he was, and she sat down very abruptly in the hard plastic seat. She tried to tell herself that it was just six months; it wasn't like she'd lost him to one of their myriad enemies again. It was a school thing.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Usagi's gaze shot up as she quashed the urge to jump. Seeing a concerned young man looking down at her, she forced a weak grin. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for asking."

He offered her a tissue. "Seeing someone off?"

"My boyfriend," she replied distantly, dabbing at the corners of her eyes. "He's going to study abroad."

"That's always tough. I haven't seen my girlfriend in more than a year."

She glanced up at him again. "That's horrible. Where is she?"

He shrugged before offering her a hand up. She took it, her smile becoming a little more genuine at such a gentlemanly gesture. "I don't know. We got separated, and I've been looking for her since."

"I hope you find her," Usagi told him honestly.

"Me too." He smiled and held out his hand again, this time for a handshake. "Seiya Kou. I thought you would've recognized me already, but since you didn't, I should introduce myself."

"Do I know you?"

"You're hard on a guy's ego, Odango."

"Don't call me that," she said automatically before shaking his hand. "Tsukino Usagi."

"Nice to meet you, but I think I prefer 'Odango'. It suits you."

Usagi shook her head, exasperated. "You wouldn't be the first person to think so. Is there anything I can say to make you stop?"

"Hmm… Probably not. Sorry."

"You're not sorry at all." She sighed, but the beginnings of a smile lurked in her expression. After a moment she let it show. "Thanks for making me feel better. I hope you find your girlfriend while you're in town."

She walked away instead of waiting for a reply, knowing the rest of their group would be at the Crown Fruits Parlor (except Keiji, but he _was_ a busy CEO) for one of their last days of break before school picked up again. After all, the girls were in high school and Zane would be starting his second semester at Tokyo University. She wasn't sure what Masato and Jomei were celebrating, but in her mind it was always the more the merrier.

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Her trip across town was quiet, but her arrival at the meeting was anything but. Minako took one look at her and let out an ecstatic shriek, practically pouncing on her, and a clamor rose from the others a second later. It took a few minutes to make out what anyone was saying, but Usagi eventually realized they'd noticed her new ring. After a quick intervention from Unazuki, they all piled into their booth. Usagi was the last one to sit down, but as soon as she did they fixed her in their sights.

"Is that what I think it is?" Minako demanded. "Usagi-chan, did Mamoru-san ask him to marry you before he left?!"

"What? No. Mina-chan, I'm only sixteen."

"It's legal if your parents approve," Ami told her.

Usagi blinked twice. "Really?" She shook her head to clear her momentary distraction. "No, he didn't ask me to marry him. Not yet, anyway. It's a promise ring. He said we'd talk more when he came home."

Rei, Makoto and Minako all sighed dramatically as the guys shot them wary looks. "It's so romantic," Makoto said in what could best be described as a croon.

"Mamoru-san's just perfect, isn't he?" Rei asked.

"That's just weird," Jomei told her. She impatiently shushed him.

"Won't it be hard on you?" Ami asked. "Trying to maintain a relationship long distance is difficult, and I know you must miss him already."

Usagi's face fell. "Yeah. I'm really glad he has a chance to do something like this, but knowing I won't see him for so long is tough."

"Oh, Usagi," Rei said softly, pushing her atypically girly reaction aside. "We'll be here for you; you know that."

If her responding smile seemed a little less than genuine, no one commented. They fell into an intense discussion of what to do with their little remaining freedom before the weight of classes and homework took it away.

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Mamoru ran his thumb across the glass over her face, smiling nostalgically. For whatever reason, he hadn't told Usagi he was taking their 'family photos' with him. Most were in the cargo hold, but he'd kept her favorite in his carry-on. Usagi and Chibiusa beamed out of it at him. He was there too, a small smile on his face, but it was nothing compared to the radiance of theirs. They were just so alive, so happy. He loved them more than he ever would have believed possible. Sure, he had a few other important people in his life – the Shitennou and Motoki – but it was always his girls that mattered most.

He was sliding the photo back into his bag when a crawling sensation swept up his back and a nervous chatter broke out. Whipping around to the window, it took most of his self-control to keep him from reacting the same way. A huge ball of crackling golden energy was barreling straight at the side of the plane. He knew it was dangerous, and he knew with equal certainty that it was coming for him with some nefarious purpose.

Usagi was the last thing he thought of as it struck.

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She woke up screaming at the top of her impressive lungs, but even as the little rational voice in the back of her head said she was going to draw the attention of everyone in the district, she couldn't get it to stop. The scream kept coming, getting rawer and more anguished with each moment. Her mother came charging in, expecting to find a kidnapper or monster in her child's room, but there was no one else there. All it took was a single exchanged look before Ikuko dropped the hairbrush she'd been holding and gathered her poor shaking daughter into her arms.

That was finally enough to break her scream, and Usagi dissolved into tears, weeping pitifully into the front of her mother's robe. "He's gone," she sobbed. "Mama, he's dead!"

Figuring out who 'he' was took less than a heartbeat, but Usagi's mother knew she had to do something. "Shhh, honey, it's only a dream. I'm sure Mamoru-san is fine, and he'll call you as soon as he's settled in America."

Usagi shook her head vehemently. "He's _dead_. Something terrible happened to him."

"What was it?"

"I don't know." Her voice cracked, but she pressed on. "He was okay, I know he was, then he was gone and I can't find him. He's dead. Mama…"

Kenji slipped in, concerned. "Are you okay, baby?"

Usagi slid bonelessly back onto her mattress as her mother stood, gesturing for her husband to follow her out of the room. She pulled the door nearly shut as Usagi cried behind them. Shingo looked at them worriedly but hung back.

"Usagi just got a phone call," she lied. "Something happened to her boyfriend on his way overseas. They think he might be dead."

Kenji frowned and headed downstairs, turning on the television. A breaking news story came on, saying the international flight from Tokyo to New York had mysteriously vanished from radar. Military planes from a nearby aircraft carrier were already out doing sweeps, but it was as if the plane had never existed.

"Who called?" he asked.

"One of her friends. They didn't want her to find out from some stranger."

"That poor thing," he said quietly.

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Still crying, gasping for breath through her tears, Usagi summoned her Ginzuishou and desperately focused on its inner light. She begged it again and again to bring Mamoru back to her, telling it she would pay any price, but no matter what she said it didn't react.

Mamoru was gone, and it didn't look like there was anything she could do to save him.

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Usagi wasn't the only one who felt Mamoru's death that night. They all knew through their connections to one or both of the couple. If there were any sensitive or powerful humans, they probably noticed the magical shockwave that swept the planet too.

Usagi remained incommunicado for the remainder of the vacation, refusing calls, visitors and anything else. At a loss, the girls went to their partners, giving them a chance to grieve. Keiji was nearly as silent as their princess, but he at least let Minako sit and talk to him. He blamed himself for not being there. It didn't matter that they had no idea what might've killed Mamoru; he was supposed to keep the prince safe.

Monday finally came, and Usagi was in school that morning like nothing had happened. She responded to her friends' greetings and even smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. The most marked problem became obvious when she showed no signs of hearing them if they mentioned Mamoru's death. When one of their other classmates asked, she said he was in America and twisted the ring on her finger. Makoto was ready to yell when the teacher came in and they all had to quiet down.

After they bowed and returned to their seats, their instructor told them they had transfer students and gestured in three young men. All the girls in the class immediately started talking all at once, not needing an introduction to recognize them. One met Usagi's gaze squarely and sauntered to the empty desk next to her. She recognized him immediately; he was the boy from the airport.

"Fancy meeting you here, Odango."

She managed a thin smile before eyeing her classmates skeptically. "Why are they squealing? They sound ridiculous."

"Really?" he asked, a falsely heartbroken look on his handsome face. "You still don't know who I am?"

She shook her head, but before either of them said anything else Minako lobbed a magazine onto her desk. The front cover was emblazoned with the transfer students, labeled "Three Lights". Flipping to the article, Usagi finally realized they were a famous group of singers. She glanced over at Seiya, about to comment, but the teacher was turning her way. Senshi-fast, she whipped the magazine out of sight.

"What was that, Miss Tsukino?" their English teacher asked.

Usagi blinked, widening her eyes innocently. "What was what, Mr. Jenkins?" she responded in perfect, lightly accented English.

The teacher shook his head and looked away, muttering something about seeing things and needing to make an eye appointment. Usagi shot Mina a dark look for nearly getting her in trouble. The other girl only shrugged as the class settled into the lesson.

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The girls tried to corner Usagi during their lunch break, but she vanished the instant class ended. It took twenty minutes to find her, and when they did she was lying with her head in Haruka's lap under a tree at the far edge of campus. Her blotchy face made it clear she'd been crying, but she was asleep now. Michiru, who had been sitting beside them, got up to meet the other girls.

"Let her be," the older teen said quietly. "She's having a rough time as is."

"She won't talk to us," Makoto countered. "She's barely acknowledged anything we say, and if we mention Mamoru it's like she's gone deaf."

"It's not exactly something she can discuss openly," Michiru chided. "He and the other people on that flight are considered missing so far, not dead, and if your peers found out he was on that plane they'll all want to ask her about it. It's too much for her to handle."

"Why did she come to you, then?" Ami asked. "We would've understood if she told us."

"She said you would already have enough stress trying to help the Shitennou cope. You have to be there for them; we don't. She knows we're only concerned about her."

"That's thoughtful and stupid all at once," Mina said after a heavy pause. "No matter what, we'll still be there for her."

Ami frowned. "She did this before. When Mamoru-san was taken by the Dark Kingdom, she only really talked to you and the Shitennou. She didn't want to burden us with what she viewed as her problem."

"She knows you want to help her, but she also knows the others need you more. They don't have anyone else. She said you would need them if anything happened to her."

"_Is_ something going to happen to her?" Makoto demanded.

"You already know the answer to that," Michiru said steadily.

Minako paled. "She can't live without him."

"Their bond," Ami realized in horror. "If he's dead, she'll follow. How long?"

"I'm not sure," Usagi answered, startling them. Haruka smoothed her hair as she sat up. "It could be weeks or even months. It could be anything that does it too."

"Can't you bring him back?" Makoto asked.

Her gaze was steady despite the renewal of her tears. She didn't say anything; she didn't have to.

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AN: I hope this didn't turn you away from the series. There'll be more action coming the next chapter, paired with considerable amounts of angst I can only partially blame on the source material. It is in keeping with the general theme of the Stars arc, though, with all the deaths and trauma they go through. As always, I'm dying for your thoughts, questions, opinions, what have you, so please review. Till next time!


	2. Chapter 2

AN: I admittedly did not intend to go so long before posting again, but I (once more) ran into a bad case of writer's block. I swear, if I have nothing I'm supposed to be doing instead, it's very hard for me to focus on writing. That being said, it looks like we're finally getting somewhere, so I hope everyone approves and I'm sorry for the wait.

Disclaimer: Aside from a few volumes of the manga, I own nothing Sailor Moon

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Usagi's mother told the girls what she said that night, but beside that they realized she never admitted he was dead out loud. To make matters worse, the group's Seers started sensing an impending catastrophe. Everyone went on high alert.

Just over a week after the plane's disappearance, Ami's computer went off silently while they were in class. She shot the other girls a panicked look as it happened again and again, hiding it under her desk as she hacked the school's system to set off evacuation alarms. Makoto pulled out her communicator as they followed their classmates out, calling Rei so she could go ahead. Once things were sufficiently chaotic the other four took off themselves, transforming on the run.

Mars hurried over, wild-eyed, when her sister Senshi arrived. "I've never seen anything like this. They killed someone already."

They couldn't even think about what Mars said. If the school had been in chaos after Ami's stunt, the scene awaiting them was complete pandemonium. There were at least thirty civilians in the area, screaming and running in every direction. The enemy appeared to consist of a pair of alien girls, but to the watchers' horror, they grabbed a running man and held him down. Some sort of crystal formed as a flower blossomed from his forehead. Seconds later, he mutated into a similar creature as the gem went dark.

"The computer is giving readings similar to a Senshi!" Mercury reported, shocked. The enemies even looked a little like Senshi. Aside from the shocking neon skin, they were dressed in something very similar to the team's uniforms.

"Spread out," Venus ordered. "Whatever you do, don't let them get a grip on you. We don't want to find out if they can do that to us."

"Your normal tactics won't work," a new voice said. Three women stood on top of a nearby building, no more than sihouettes with the sun at their backs. They leapt down to ground level, letting the Guardian Senshi get a look at them.

At first they weren't sure what to think. Like the monsters, who'd had fallen silent, their outfits resembled the traditional apparel of Senshi, albeit far more revealing ones. Their skin was at least normally colored. The Guardian Senshi looked to Sailor Moon, who stepped forward.

"Girls, block off the area. Get a barrier up if necessary. I'll be okay." They nodded and ran off, leaving their leader with the newcomers. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"We're not here to talk," the silver-haired girl said brusquely. "We only came to kill the phages before they take over."

"Phages?"

"Human parodies of Sailor Senshi. Get down!" the black-haired one snapped as she ran closer to the monsters, pulling out a star shaped device as she did. Holding it up, she cried, "STAR SERIOUS LASER!"

One of the females shrieked in pain and distress, causing the others to turn on the attacker. The new Senshi readied their weapons, but Sailor Moon pushed past them. "Don't! Those are still humans!" She interposed herself between the combatants, putting her dangerously close to the phages and not caring. "I won't let you kill them!"

"If they aren't killed, they'll do this to everyone!" the brown-haired warrior shouted.

"There's always another way!" Her power flared before they could react, summoning her own weapon. The Eternal Tiare sprang to life; she clutched it tightly, wishing as hard as she could that it would help. "STARLIGHT HONEYMOON THERAPY KISS!"

Waves of energy poured from its tip, flooding the area with light. The phages cried out as it touched them. Their crystals reappeared in their original state, and a moment later the monsters were human again. Sailor Moon banished the Tiare then hurried across the battlefield. It took less than a minute to find the man the phages killed. His neck had been snapped. The rest of the team broke the barrier and began checking the civilians as the black-haired girl approached the kneeling blonde.

"I should have been faster," she said distantly.

"You're lucky it's only him. Phages can overrun an entire planet."

With a sigh, Sailor Moon got to her feet. "You're speaking from personal experience. Who are you, and where did you come from? Why are you here?"

"Don't answer her," the silver-haired warrior snapped.

The first girl waved her down. "I'm Sailor Star Fighter. The rude one is Healer, and the quiet one is Maker. We're the Sailor Starlights. Our world was destroyed by phages. We didn't expect to find other Senshi here; our records indicated that you all died a long time ago."

"So you're refugees," Sailor Moon said. Fighter shrugged. "Well, anything you can do to help is appreciated. I hope we can work together."

"We're not here to fight," Maker said. "We'll kill phages if we see them, but we don't care about your war."

"If they destroyed your planet, it's your war too. Why are you here?"

"This planet is all that's left," Healer told her irritably. "The person we're looking for has to be here. Once we find her, we'll go."

Sailor Moon frowned. "You tried to kill people under my protection. If you won't help us, are you enemies too?"

"If you want to think that way. Let's go, Fighter."

The Starlights leapt away as the Guardian Senshi returned, telling their leader there were no other casualties and that fortunately the various injuries were relatively minor.

As they turned to go, Mercury gasped. "Sailor Moon, your back!" Three long gashes cut from the middle of her spine to her waist, bleeding sluggishly. The Senshi of Wisdom quickly closed the wounds, leaving flawless skin behind. "You're lucky that monster wasn't venomous."

The blonde twisted side to side, testing for pain, before shrugging. "I didn't even notice. It's a small price to pay to keep those poor people alive."

"What do you mean?" Jupiter asked.

"Those Senshi wanted to kill them," Mars guessed.

Venus grimaced. "Who are they, anyway?"

"I'll tell you later," their leader responded. "Right now we need to get back before someone notices we're missing."

Still, she looked back in the direction the Starlights had gone.

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Mercury watched people going into the Buddhist temple for the wake, anxiety heavy on her shoulders. She understood Sailor Moon's need to have someone talk to the victim's family, but a public appearance after a fight resulted in a human death sounded risky from a strategic standpoint. She couldn't use her powers on a mortal if they lost control and tried to take their pain out on her. Zoisite had offered to accompany her, but she'd said no. Communications was her job, and he was still torn up over losing Mamoru.

To give herself a few more seconds before she approached the family, the Senshi of Ice pulled out her computer and called up the victim's data. Tanaka Goro, age 37, cause of death a cervical fracture – that she'd seen herself – married with a young son and a daughter on the way. He had a large family, but she needed to talk to his wife first. Tanaka Airi had seemed calm when interviewed regarding her husband's death, but his wake would be upsetting.

With a snap, Mercury closed her computer and sent it back into her subspace pocket. Looking at data she'd seen thousands of times over the past few days wouldn't do anything, and she'd promised Usagi she'd make sure the family knew how much they regretted being unable to help. They'd never had a man physically murdered before; other deaths had been mass events like the Black Moon Clan's crystal. She sighed and dropped to the ground, holding her head high as people began to whisper. More than one sounded angry.

It took a few seconds to reach the widow. Airi was with her son by the coffin, her hand on her swollen belly and faint tear tracks marking her cheeks. The little boy flinched as Mercury approached, but Airi met her gaze without hesitating.

"Thank you for coming, Sailor Mercury. I didn't expect to see you."

"I'm sorry for your family's loss, Tanaka-san. Believe me when I say that all of us deeply regret being unable to save your husband."

"I know you didn't want this, but tell me what happened. Please."

The blue-haired girl hesitated before responding. "I got an emergency call on our hotline, but the other girls and I were in school. We had to slip out, and it took time. Mars just arrived when she saw the phage kill your husband, but she had to keep the situation contained. She isn't a healer, and by the time I arrived there was nothing we could do."

The widow nodded slowly. "I understand. I appreciate your telling the truth."

"It's your fault!" Mercury turned to face the older woman who'd shouted – the victim's mother. "If you'd been faster my son would still be alive!"

"Mama," Airi said soothingly, trying to stop the fight before it happened.

She shrugged off her daughter-in-law's hand. "Your war killed my child. You and your friends should be dead, not him!"

"If we were dead, nothing would have stopped the monsters from killing your son and countless others. I would have saved him if I could, but there was no time."

She hated having to stand firm as the woman crumpled and her grandson put his arms around her neck. She couldn't take back what she'd said even if she wanted to, and there was nothing she could do to make their family whole again. It was the most impossible thing she'd had to deal with in her time as a warrior, and all she could do was bear it.

"Maybe you should go," Tanaka's father said. "I have a great deal of respect for what you and the other girls do for us. I was in a war once; I understand. Tell them I said thank you."

"I hope you know we would've done anything to prevent this."

"I know. I'm glad you came."

Mercury managed a shallow bow and one last regretful look at the closed coffin before turning and walking away.

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"Why am I not finding anything?" she demanded, frustrated.

Mercury paced the tiled floor of the command center she'd rediscovered under Crown and converted into a massive computer system when the processing ability of her smaller one had been too small to make any headway. She'd discovered some amazing information about their pasts and any number of other topics, but the data she was searching for remained elusive. Mamoru's death and the disappearance of his flight were baffling. Her best guess thus far was that the plane had somehow traveled to a pocket of subspace, but his death remained a mystery.

She set to work entering every bit of information she had on the new enemy, hoping it would be more useful than her search for the dead prince.

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Haruka, Michiru and Setsuna listened grimly as the other girls told them about the attack once they met up at Crown Fruit Parlor. Hotaru was there too, but her attention seemed to be elsewhere. The generals had been forced to leave before the discussion really got started, each having other things they had to take care of. Ami was curiously absent.

"So does anyone know what those flowers and crystals were?" Makoto asked in conclusion. "They seemed important since they went dark and lit up again after Sailor Moon healed the monsters."

"Phages," the blonde corrected quietly. She'd contributed very little to the conversation, but no one blamed her for it. They all knew she was struggling with Mamoru's senseless death.

"I don't remember anything like it," Michiru responded. "Haruka?" The other girl shook her head. "We'll look into it, of course, but for the time being I think we'll stay back and see what we can find out. We might be better off if we aren't all at the battles."

"A man died last time," said Minako. "Wouldn't it be easier to keep everyone safe if we all fought?"

"No," Haruka answered. "It might be the way to keep civilians safe, but we also have to consider ourselves. Every time all of us gather, we risk being a bigger lure to an enemy we know nothing about. Right now we have to find out what they're after, and that means some of us have to stay out of sight and observe."

"Then shouldn't you be the ones on the field?" demanded Makoto. "You keep telling us your powers are stronger than ours."

"The five of you have spent more time working as a unit," Setsuna explained. "From what you have told us, any of you could kill one of these phages. Strength isn't the issue."

Their communicators started beeping, so Usagi switched it open. "Mercury, what's going on? Where are you?"

"We have another attack," Mercury reported. "This time it's Keio University's science and technology section. Reports indicate three or more phages." She hesitated before continuing. "We may already have casualties."

"How many?" the blonde asked calmly, though her fingers were gripping the table so tightly that no blood could move through them.

"I don't know."

She nodded. "We're on our way. Will you be able to keep things under control alone?"

"Nephrite's here. He's the one who called me."

Usagi glanced at Makoto, who shrugged. Then she turned to the Outer Senshi. "Will you fight with us?"

"We can't," Michiru said regretfully. "We're supposed to be playing at a Three Lights concert tonight and have to be there in ten minutes."

Haruka nodded. "All of you should be careful. There's a dangerous voice in the wind." The three older girls left, but Setsuna gave them a lingering look.

It left them chilled to the bone, but Minako managed to shake it off quickly. "Kunzite says he'll be there as soon as he can slip away. Zoisite is in class but he'll try to do the same."

"What about Jadeite?" Rei asked.

"He doesn't know if he'll be able to get someone to watch the shrine. We need to go."

They took off at a run, tucking various belongings into their subspace pockets as they did. Both Reika and Motoki went to Keio, and since Reika was a science student she could very well be caught in the crossfire. At least they knew Setsuna wasn't there and that Motoki was safely located in the medicine section. During a back-alley shortcut, they transformed and kept moving.

The school was on lockdown when they arrived, which on the one hand meant other civilians wouldn't accidentally get involved, but it also meant the ones with the phages couldn't escape. Sailor Moon swallowed hard before leading the way to the science buildings, navigating by the sounds of screams.

The department's largest auditorium had been full when the attack started. Now a number of people were on the floor, either unconscious or dead. The Senshi didn't have the heart to check; it would have to wait until the monsters were dealt with. Everyone else was cowering under chairs, trying to stay out of the way. Hopefully someone would be able to tell them how it had started this time. Mercury and Nephrite were near the podium at the front, trying to keep the monsters engaged, but they were badly outnumbered. Instead of the three phages Mercury had mentioned via the communicator, there were at least ten. Nephrite's right cheek was bleeding profusely and Mercury was babying her left arm.

"Start getting people out," Sailor Moon ordered her companions. "Leave the phages to me. I'll send Nephrite and Mercury to help."

"There are too many!" Jupiter protested. "You can't face them alone!"

"Unless you can heal them too I don't have any options."

There was nothing she could say to that. Healing of that level was beyond Mercury or Zoisite. Maybe Tuxedo Kamen could manage it with his Golden Crystal, but he was gone. Sailor Moon was the only one who could help them now. Instead of wasting any more words, Jupiter grabbed the nearest bunch of civilians and hustled them to the door they had come through, now guarded by Mars and Venus. One of the phages tried to come at them, but a golden whip cut off its approach and threw it back toward the Moon Senshi. The Amazonian Senshi nodded to her golden leader and kept going. She wanted to move the wounded too, but there was no way to get them out quickly enough to keep the phages off. They would have to wait.

Sailor Moon drew the Eternal Tiare as she raced to her beleaguered friends. Nephrite hurried to join Jupiter as he did, having heard the conversation, but Mercury shook her head when she was gestured away.

"You can't fight alone," she contested boldly. "I can at least watch your back."

It wasn't worth the argument, so Sailor Moon got to work and squared with the first two phages. "STARLIGHT HONEYMOON THERAPY KISS!"

For a minute, it looked like things would be that simple. With Mercury keeping the monsters from attacking her, all the Moon Senshi had to worry about was her energy levels. Healing was an exhausting business. That made things so much worse when they lost any control of the situation moments later.

A strange sort of phone booth appeared near the center of the room. The warriors at the back wanted to handle it themselves, but they knew it was the work of the enemy and that if phages had started out human something had caused the change. They couldn't leave civilians to be turned into monsters. Sailor Moon couldn't leave the existing phages – there were still four or five that were better at evading her attempts.

Mercury was the only one who saw the attack coming from her position at Sailor Moon's side. An energy beam was headed directly toward her, and the others were too far away to interfere. She was right there, but there was no time to summon her own powers in hopes of stopping it and she couldn't risk it hitting Sailor Moon if she failed. With awful detachment, she took the one course of action left to her and jumped in front of her princess, letting the strike hit her head-on.

It was like being torn apart. She could feel the crystal she'd seen with other phages erupting, but unlike them it wasn't coming from her head. It was coming from her heart, the very depths of her being. She hit the ground with a sickening thud and forced herself to look at what it was as it flew from her. Bile rose in her throat as she recognized her precious Mercury Crystal being caught in a white-gloved hand before the gem vanished.

Sailor Moon shrieked in fear and rage, turning on Mercury's attacker with her awesome power. Her Kiss wasn't a healer's spell now – it was destructive. The villain disappeared in a shower of moon-dust. Crying, the Moon Senshi forced herself to deal with the remaining phages as the others raced to the fallen warrior's side.

Mercury had faced death before, but it had at least always been quick and with the knowledge that if they were strong enough Zoisite or Sailor Moon could lead her back. There would be no coming back this time, not with her Sailor Crystal taken by the enemy. She could feel herself come apart bit by sickening bit.

A strangled shout echoed through the auditorium as Zoisite finally appeared. She knew, through the little of their bond she could still reach as she faded, that he'd felt her take the hit and nearly revealed himself in his rush to come for her. Her soulmate gathered her close with tears in his eyes, realizing as easily as she did that she had precious little time.

"You cannot leave me," he whispered. "Please. I will not let you die." And she knew that if there were a way to save her he would have done it without a moment's hesitation.

Grasping her last bit of strength, she summoned her computer and pressed it into his hands. Hers went through them seconds later, her physical form almost gone. "I'm sorry," she gasped. "So sorry."

"No, no, Ami-chan," Sailor Moon moaned as she dropped to her knees. "Why?! I never wanted any of you to die for me!" Her Silver Moon Crystal was in her hands, but it only glinted dully. There was none of the light that accompanied the granting of her wishes.

"It was my decision," Mercury said honestly.

"You shouldn't have to decide," she said bitterly. "This is all my fault."

"No. This is the enemy's fault, whoever they are. I don't regret saving you, because I know you'll find a way to stop them for good."

"I can't do this without you."

It hurt to say it, but she had no choice. "You're going to have to."

Zoisite's eyes filling with helpless tears were the last things she saw.

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By the time they finished sorting things out, the damages were staggering. There were seven dead, not counting Mercury. Ninety out of the remaining one hundred fifty students had been injured, but thankfully most of their wounds were superficial. Three had gone directly into surgery once they reached the hospital and a handful of others were in critical condition. The victims that had been changed into phages were unsurprisingly distraught, but none of them knew anything helpful. Those that had seen the start of the attack only described an energy beam similar to the one that killed Mercury.

Venus directed the newly arrived medical personnel as the rest of the team converged on Sailor Moon and Zoisite. Kunzite and Jadeite had reached them a few minutes before the ambulances, and Jadeite was trying to talk to Zoisite while Mars confronted her best friend. Nothing was working; it was like they had gone when Mercury did. Finally Kunzite picked up the Moon Senshi and had Nephrite and Jadeite help Zoisite to his feet.

"Where was Lady Mercury disappearing to this last week?" he asked firmly. The others shook their heads. Disapproving, he fixed his youngest subordinate with an uncompromising stare. "You have her computer, Zoisite. It will be able to tell you if she did not. Check."

The order was enough to finally stir him from his grief and he automatically complied. "I do not know if it will recognize –" His voice caught in his throat as the little machine came to life. Even in the Silver Millennium she had never granted him access to her private files. "I have it," he murmured through fresh tears.

"Where was she?" Venus asked as she rejoined them. Silently, he turned the screen so the others could see it. Most of them frowned, uncomprehending, but the blonde recognized it. "That's the Secret Base. I used to work out of there as V."

"The arcade would be closed at this hour," Kunzite said, knowing the street address if not the place itself. "How would we get inside?"

"Motoki-san would still be there at this hour," Jupiter told him. "He does inventory and cleanup once the kids leave for the day. He'll let us in."

The general nodded. "We need to get there, then. Lady Mercury would not have left the computer and her previous location behind if there was not something we had to see."

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As predicted, Motoki quickly ushered them inside when they reached the game center. He was as shocked as the rest of them when informed of Mercury's sacrifice and said he'd leave them to their business. Venus opened the passageway with the Sailor V game. The floor dropped out from under them, and they fell into the massive space. Huge screens dominated the walls. The primary console was lit, so Zoisite moved to access it in hopes that it would respond as Mercury's personal computer had. Every machine lit as he sat down, and a hologram appeared in the center of the room.

"Mercury," he choked.

"Yes and no. I am an artificial intelligence system created by Sailor Mercury in her image, possessing all the knowledge she had, but I am not her. According to my protocols, your arrival here means she died."

"She sacrificed herself to save my life," Sailor Moon said hollowly.

The apparition nodded. "She feared that such an act would become necessary. Lord Zoisite, Sailor Mercury has configured the system that in the event of her death you become the primary user and are given full access to any and all information. She says she hopes you will use the information to help stop this enemy. Now, I understand you may find this difficult, but she was running simulations before the attack and for the data to be complete I will need you to key in what was learned during the battle."

The screen in front of him flickered and became a data entry page. Most of the slots were completed, but the last was ominously empty. It was in the category regarding the enemy's attack and said 'against a Senshi'. Zoisite swallowed hard but laid his hands over the controls and carefully typed in what he had seen and been told – the eruption of the crystal from the chest rather than the head and the complete fading of the victim's body. When he hit enter, the screen read 'beginning simulation'.

"Can we help?" Nephrite asked tentatively.

"Were any of you trained in the use of Lunarian and Mercurian technology?" Zoisite responded coolly. "I do not recall."

"You know we weren't," Jadeite said.

"Then there is nothing you can do to help. She gave the system to me for a reason, and I am the only one who knows how to use it. I will finish with she started."

That was all it took for Sailor Moon to lose control. She gasped and sobbed harshly, trying and failing to bring it under control. The hologram vanished as she did. She powered down, unwilling to be a warrior at the moment.

"She did it for me! Everything, every time, they give themselves up for me. I can't take it! It's too hard!"

"Usagi," Jupiter began, taking a step forward, but Jadeite beat her to it.

He seized the blonde around the waist and pulled her close, whispering in her ear with an intent look on his face. Everyone automatically moved back when he did, shocked as what looked like bloody slashes carved themselves into his skin, but he kept talking and only let up when she sagged in his arms.

"Take her home," he told Jupiter and Venus hoarsely. "Don't wait around. She needs to be alone when she wakes up."

Both girls were prepared to argue, but one look at his bleak expression changed their minds. Jupiter took their leader from him and led the way out, leaving the Shitennou and Mars in the basement computer room. Zoisite stiffly got to his feet and moved to his comrade's side, laying healing hands on his injuries.

"What did you do, Jade?" he asked with as much kindness as he could muster.

Jadeite hissed in pain as the first of the wounds began to close. "I used one of my 'special abilities'. It was the only way to help her."

Kunzite frowned and turned to face them. "Did you go against your oath and use your command of words on the princess?"

Another grimace crossed his face, but this one was more of emotional discomfort than physical. "She was about to have a meltdown, Kunz. I really didn't have an option when you realize she's the only one who can fix this mess."

"What precisely did you do?" he demanded.

"I made her forget. Well, not forget exactly – she knows something bad happened to Mamoru and Ami, but she doesn't know they're dead. She just thinks they're missing. It's still going to be hard for her, but it's better that way."

"You didn't even give her a choice," Mars said, aghast.

"I do not think you understand the consequences of what you just did," said Kunzite.

"I understand that I have no intention of doing anything like it," the blond growled as Zoisite closed the last of the cuts. "She was already near her breaking point from losing Mamoru. Dealing with Mercury's death on top of that would've been too much for her."

It was hard, but Mars forced herself to consider the situation logically. "You're right," she realized miserably. "Asking her to hold on through that is too much, especially now. Will she ever realize?"

"She'll know whenever she's transformed. Sailor Moon is strong enough to cope. I just couldn't leave her to deal with it every minute. She doesn't need to know she's dying."

"Are you going to do the same to me?" Zoisite questioned as he sat back down.

Jadeite shook his head. "I wish I could, but I know you wouldn't let me and we need you to handle all this computer nonsense. Speaking of which, do we know what they're after yet?"

"Yes," he said with a tired sigh. "They want Sailor Crystals. The other gems, the ones that turned black, belong to normal humans. Senshi and those like us have what are considered 'real' Star Seeds and would grant an enemy our powers."

"You mean someone could attack us now with Mercury's gifts," Kunzite reasoned.

"Yes. Or with Mamoru-sama's."

There was a second of heavy silence. "Are you saying they killed him?" Mars finally asked. "They're the reason for the missing plane?"

"Nothing but the loss of the Golden Crystal could cause a death Sailor Moon would not be able to reverse." He looked up at his companions. "They cannot come back without retrieving the crystals. If we do not, she and I are doomed."

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AN: This is the point where you tell me how awesome I am. No, just kidding. What I want is to hear your honest opinions, good or bad. I had a hard time with some of this, and as mentioned before this story is headed in a rather dark direction. If you think this section was bad, well, if things go according to plan it's going to get worse. As always, I love hearing what you have to think, so reviews are a WONDERFUL idea. Till the (hopefully soon) next time!


	3. Chapter 3

AN: I'm really sorry for how long this took. For whatever reason, I seem to be incapable of productivity during summer vacation, and that means no new chapters. It's not that I didn't try – this story's file was open way more often than it was closed. I just couldn't get the words to come. Parts of this were written a while ago, but the bulk was done last night. I haven't gone back through it yet, so it may be a bit rough, but I didn't want to make everyone keep waiting.

Disclaimer: While I've gotten more memorabilia, including a Sailor Stars wall scroll from my awesome little sister, I don't own Sailor Moon.

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Haruka frowned, shaking her head. "None of you will want to hear this, but the best thing we can do is disappear."

"What do you mean?" Minako demanded.

"Think about it. Every time they kill one of us, they're that much stronger. They want our crystals, and we can't give them up. By hiding, they can't do whatever they're working toward. They'd have to give up sooner or later."

"If we don't fight, people will die," Rei observed stonily.

"They're dying even when you do," Michiru reminded.

Makoto scowled. "That makes it okay? If we hadn't gone there would've been dozens killed. We lost Ami-chan, and it's horrible, but the deaths if we just stopped protecting civilians would be too much for anyone to bear. Usagi-chan would never allow it."

"She wouldn't know."

The Guardian Senshi stared at Haruka, horrified. Eventually Rei found her voice. "That doesn't make it right! We've fought for _her_ all this time, not the mission or the world or the past or any of that. We're willing to die for _her_. If we gave up and did nothing, we'd be betraying everything she believes in."

"As hard as it may be to accept, the loss of human lives, even in massive quantities, could save everyone," Michiru explained. "They wouldn't be able to find us."

"If we abandon humanity we don't deserve our crystals," Makoto said flatly.

"It is a null point," Zoisite said, startling them all. Sitting at the computer without saying a word, they'd forgotten he was in the base at all. "Our disappearance would not stop this."

"What do you mean?" Minako asked.

"If we were to vanish, they would not. They would devastate Tokyo looking for us, and if that did not net them what they wanted they would only expand outward until they had killed everyone on Earth, ourselves included. There is no victory in hiding. There is only death."

Rei turned to Setsuna, who, like Zoisite, had chosen not to say anything. "You've seen the future. What should we do?"

"The future is irrelevant," she answered. "No matter what anyone says, you will fight. It is not in you to sit by when you could take action, and it would be wrong even if you could. You know this in your hearts. No matter the future, that is the choice you will make."

"But does it work?" Minako asked.

"That I cannot say. The future is too murky to be read, even by me."

"Usagi-chan will make it work," Makoto said staunchly. "She always does. We can have faith in her."

Everyone was surprised again when Haruka nodded. "Okay. So what's the plan?"

Minako frowned. "You just said we should stop fighting and now you want to plan?"

"Setsuna's right. Even if it was the worst idea in the world, nothing would keep you from protecting people, and that one –" she gestured dismissively in Zoisite's direction, still less than fond of the Shitennou – "seems convinced it wouldn't help even if we left. Now we have to figure out what we _can_ do."

Rei gave the older blonde a skeptical look before nodding. "Well, the first thing would be making sure no one fights alone, but it's hard. Only Kunzite, Zoisite and Jupiter can teleport, and Zoisite spends all his time here now."

"And I flash between points I can see more than actually teleporting," Makoto added.

"So there's no way to guarantee we won't be isolated during an attack," Michiru said.

"Well, it's easier for you," Rei pointed out. "You and Haruka-san are always together. They're not likely to catch either of you on your own."

"More importantly," Minako interrupted, "is to have enough people on hand that we prevent as many casualties as possible – human or Senshi. We need your help."

"Okay," Haruka agreed. "And what about these new Senshi? The Sailor Starlights?"

"We've only seen them once," Rei said. "We don't know any more about them than we've already told you."

"We know they have Sailor Crystals," Setsuna corrected. "They can be targeted too."

That led to a moment of silence. Minako grimaced before breaking it. "We'll warn them if they can, but I think they already know. That might be why they were so keen on killing the phages before they got out of hand."

"Will they fight with us?" Minako asked. "The stakes are certainly high enough."

"I doubt it," Makoto replied.

"It doesn't matter," Haruka interrupted. "They're our enemies. It's up to Michiru and I to keep outsiders away, and they certainly qualify."

"They don't have anywhere else to go," Rei argued. "Their world was already destroyed by these phages."

"Failing at their job just makes them more unwelcome. I know Odango will want to make friends, but if their planet is gone, why are they here? Why didn't they die defending it? How do we know they weren't sent by the enemy to trick us?"

Michiru smiled. "You sound paranoid, Haruka."

"They're too trusting."

"Hey," Makoto protested mildly.

"You let the Shitennou back in with only nominal difficulty. You were willing to side with the Black Moon Clan prince at the end. You even told us Odango was still on good terms with Tuxedo Kamen while he was Dark Kingdom."

"All of those decisions worked out for the best," Rei pointed out.

"You've been lucky. She'll trust anyone. These Starlights could lead her into a trap if they're working for the enemy, and she'd forgive them for it as it killed her."

"After everything, you still don't have faith in her?" Mina asked soberly.

Haruka shook her head. "It's not Odango I don't have faith in. It's everyone else."

With a sigh, Setsuna got to her feet. "Hotaru and I will go to our castles and do what we can to keep anyone else from entering the system. There is nothing we can do about the ones already here until they attack, but this way we may be able to buy you time."

"Will you be safe?" Makoto asked. "All alone out there?"

"Not many enemies can beat Setsuna-mama in her own territory," Hotaru responded, surprising them. "And even if they do, I should be able to hold them off even longer. We're your best hope to keep this from getting worse."

At that moment, it really sunk in for the others just how small she was. Rei, who spent time around kids as part of her work at the shrine, decided she couldn't be more than ten years old physically, though it was hard to say with how quickly she was aging. If this plan failed, they'd have sent a child to die.

"Can't you go alone, Setsuna-san?" Minako asked, mirroring Rei's thoughts. "Hotaru-chan is still so young. I know Usagi-chan would rather keep her safe for as long as possible."

The youngest girl turned and pierced the blonde with ancient eyes. "I'm only young in body," she said quietly. "You can't think of me as a child. I'll hold them as long as I can, and I'll take them down if I have to."

They teleported away before the others could argue, and Rei shuddered. "They're on a suicide mission and they know it. Hotaru-chan is only a child, and Setsuna-san – she was just released from the Time Door a year ago. She hasn't had a chance to really live yet. How can we let them do this?!"

"We couldn't stop them," Makoto pointed out. "They've always done things their way."

"That doesn't make it right." The miko shook her head, accepting that there was nothing she could do, and glanced at Zoisite. "I want to talk to Ami-chan's mom. Do you want to come?"

He turned to face her, expressionless. "What is there to say?"

"She deserves to know what happened to her daughter, and I think she can be trusted with the truth. She wouldn't do anything that could jeopardize Ami-chan."

He was about to disagree, but Minako spoke up first. "It makes sense. She needs closure. At least this way she'll know what happened and that she still has a chance of seeing Ami-chan again if we can win."

"And you think I should go?" he asked coolly.

She faced him. "Yeah, I do. You need the closure as much as she does. And really, we all should say our goodbyes. Just in case."

Makoto frowned. "Do you really think this is going that badly?"

"I think anyone who can kill one of us with a single blow is dangerous. There has to be more of them out there. Who knows what can happen now?"

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The conversation with Ami's mother was hard. Saying her teenaged daughter was dead instead of missing all but destroyed her, and then having to admit that there was a chance that she might be able to come back seemed cruel. It gave Dr. Mizuno hope they weren't sure they had when they'd seen a teammate killed right in front of them. After Mars explained what had happened Zoisite told her everything he could about his relationship with Ami, and it nearly broke his heart to say she couldn't tell anyone the truth and would have to keep up the search for a child she'd never find.

Still, as difficult as that was, they both knew the next important conversation they'd each need to have would be worse. They needed to give their families something to hold on to in case they were next. Zoisite said he wouldn't have much trouble since his family wasn't close, but Mars had her grandfather to think of.

Rei stared at the fire, trying to make sense of the horrors of battle. Maybe it was supposed to be natural for Mars, the Senshi of War herself, but it had never been harder than this become. It was one thing to fall in the midst of battle against their final enemy. They'd never suffered a defeat so early in the game. They'd never had to watch a friend fade out of existence.

"Is something troubling you, Rei?" her grandfather asked as he slipped into the room. He was small and slight, and suffered from a number of health problems. She wondered if he'd live long enough to see her graduate high school. Well, it was overshadowed now by her fear that _she _wouldn't reach graduation. "You've been very quiet these past few days."

The miko took a deep breath before turning to face him. "We need to talk, Jii-chan. There are a few things I have to tell you."

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Yuuichiro was beyond startled when Rei's dad walked up the shrine steps with a few of his political allies. Though he wasn't aware of the nature of their feud, Rei's first interactions with Jomei had clued him into the animosity between father and daughter. He wanted to go and warn her, but as the new head priest he couldn't abandon men clearly arriving for the baptismal ceremony he was about to perform. Clearly the child's father was a close friend of the senator's. He could only hope she'd stay in the back room until they were gone.

The ceremony was done quickly and quietly, and Senator Hino excused himself to look for his father-in-law and daughter before Yuuichiro could warn them. He just hoped nothing horrible happened while he was busy with the other visitors.

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Really, the only thing that kept the senator from barging in when he heard his quarry talking was that they were in a sacred place. While he wasn't religious, his late wife had been relentless in her determination that he at least know the protocol her family adhered to so he didn't accidentally offend anyone. The old man might not be upset, but Rei had a hard enough time tolerating him without his barging into a place she considered holy.

"And that's why I waited till now to say something," Rei finished. The senator leaned in, interested despite himself. Rei kept secrets from him and he didn't care, but he knew she was very close to her grandfather and unlikely to keep anything significant from him.

The old man sighed. "Rei, I knew you were Sailor Mars a long time ago. You have fire in your soul, and the way your gifts developed so early was very telling. Besides, you could only be attacked here so often."

There was a pause before the girl's response came. Senator Hino waited for her to deny it, to say she wasn't one of the Senshi and had nothing to do with magic and aliens. "If you've known for so long, why didn't you ever ask me about it? I wouldn't have lied."

"You wanted it to be a secret, so I let you think it was. Yuuichiro doesn't know if that has you worried. Really, I don't think anyone who wasn't here in the early days would be able to make the connection, but when you consider the charms we have all around the shrine to repel evil spirits it is rather telling when there have been so many attacks on blessed ground."

"All this time, I thought you'd be surprised or even scared if I told you I was Mars."

Whatever she might have said after that was lost. Her father burst into the fire chamber, startling her into silence. "How dare you," the senator hissed quietly. "You have been going around behind my back, taking part in unsanctioned battles that have cost the public a great deal of money. You and those like you threaten the very foundations of our society. I demand you quit immediately."

If Rei had been startled before, she got over it quickly. "You don't get to give me orders. I made that clear a while ago, you might recall, and I couldn't _quit_ being Mars even if I wanted to. I was born to be a Senshi, and nothing would make me turn my back on that."

He scoffed. "So you'll just keep betraying your own father for parlor tricks."

"Parlor tricks?!" she fumed. "You have no idea what I'm capable of!"

"Rei," her grandfather said quietly. The anger immediately fell from her face as she faced him. "This is not the place. The fire is sacred and even you should not violate that."

"Fine," she agreed, though the answer was bitten off and she sent her father a disgusted look. Without another word she hurried from the chamber, leaving the two men alone.

"I know this comes as a shock to you, Takashi, but you cannot control her," the old man stated plainly. "She is beyond any of us and has a task to complete. You should not interfere."

"My daughter is going to ruin me if this gets out," he said tersely. "I should have known not to let her run wild for so long. There has to be a way to rid her of these freakish abilities and separate her from the others."

"She is not a freak or a monster; she is a holy warrior called to a horrible and trying task. Whether you approve or not, the Senshi are necessary and Rei will always be one of them." The retired priest got to his feet. "I can sense you planning some great foolishness, and I will say again that you are tampering with forces you don't understand. I have to be clear in this: I am Rei's guardian and I will do whatever it takes to keep you from hurting her. I'm no threat to you, I realize, but the two young men here are very devoted to her and will protect her where I can't. You'd do well to leave her alone."

The senator gave his father-in-law a withering glare before walking away, smoothing his usual perfect façade in place so none of his companions would suspect his anger or his sudden need to have some time alone to think.

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Mars cursed as they ran. When the call came in two days after her confrontation with her father, she and Sailor Moon were the only ones able to respond. Fortunately the information Zoisite was relaying indicated it was in a secluded part of the park with a few civilians and a single phage. Hopefully the two of them would be enough.

They needn't have worried. Reaching the park, they saw the bright lights of Senshi attacks and used them as a guide. The Starlights were there. Fighter and Maker held the phage back while Healer watched their backs, keeping an eye out for the strange phone booth that had held Mercury's killer. Fighter turned their way as Maker fired her attack.

"Good, you're here! Take care of this, will you?"

Sailor Moon stopped, surprised. "I thought you believed in killing them. You didn't want to work with us."

"Working with you is one thing. Killing people who can be saved is another." Fighter smiled. "This is what you wanted, isn't it?"

After another moment's hesitation, she summoned the Eternal Tiare. "You'll need to get out of the way."

"It's going after that kid!" Healer shouted, drawing their attention to a little redheaded girl the phage was reaching for. She was tiny, maybe two or three years old, and she whimpered as its claws extended.

Mars' reaction was immediate. "MARS FLAME SNIPER!" Her arrow flew, leaving a scorching trail across the monster's arm and forcing it to withdraw.

Maker leapt over and pulled the child away, giving Sailor Moon a clear field. She swung the rod, gathering her power. "STARLIGHT HONEYMOON THERAPY KISS!"

The phage fell, its Star Seed glittering again as it reverted to human form. Healer started to reach for her, ready to mend any injuries she may have sustained, but she stopped to study the little girl Maker was holding.

"Strange," she said quietly before kneeling and getting to work.

"What's strange?" Mars asked as she started checking the other civilians, a few of whom were only on the ground from mild injury while one or two seemed unconscious. Fortunately there was nothing severe, and the lack of casualties was better yet.

Sailor Moon's Tiare vanished and she looked at Fighter for an explanation. All the dark-haired girl could do was shrug in response, so she turned back to her irascible companion. "Is there something wrong with her?"

Maker rejoined her leader, still holding the child. "She's uninjured, if a little scared."

The blonde took her at once, settling her on her hip and murmuring comfortingly. Once she was satisfied that the toddler was calming down, she frowned at Healer. "What's strange?" she asked again, this time in a more stern tone.

Healer glanced at Fighter before answering. "She was really bright when she was about to be attacked. That was what caught my attention in the first place. Now it's as if she's perfectly normal. I've never seen anything like it."

"Bright?" Sailor Moon repeated, frowning. "I didn't see anything but her and the phage."

"Not physically bright," the silver haired girl responded tersely. "Senshi bright. Can't any of you see it? Sailor Senshi and those like us have a different aura than non-magical people. Hers was exceptional, actually – even from the corner of my eye it was like looking at the sun. With how strong hers was I couldn't see yours at all."

"Is it even possible for someone this young to be a Senshi?" Fighter asked.

"If we were still home I'd say absolutely not, but there might be different rules here. I don't even know if she _is_ a Senshi. Like I said, she seems ordinary now."

Mars got to her feet, hands on her hips, as Healer came to the person she'd been with. "Are you telling me you know who we are when we aren't transformed?"

"That _would_ be the obvious conclusion, yes," Healer said. "Would you like the trophy now or should we organize a ceremony."

Maker sighed. "Healer, be nice. Even if we don't want to be a team, this is their world."

It was just as well that one of her own teammates had reprimanded her, because Mars had a too-familiar look in her eye. Jadeite's advice would have been to get as far away from her as possible. One misstep could result in a fireball in a very uncomfortable locale. Sailor Moon, while not _as_ familiar with the expression, recognized it anyway.

"Mars…" she said sternly.

The fiery Senshi glared for a moment before subsiding, but that didn't stop her from saying something. "If you know who we are, you should at least be considerate and give us the same courtesy."

Fighter blinked. "Maker and I don't know. It's one of Healer's abilities, and she won't tell us unless she finds it relevant."

"Which I obviously don't," she muttered as she laid one gloved hand on a man's chest, searching for internal injuries.

Now it was Fighter who sighed. "You were just told to be nice, so do all of us a favor and don't antagonize them." She turned to Sailor Moon. "You'll have to forgive her; she's still trying to cope with the loss of her pair-bond."

"Pair-bond?" the blonde repeated as Healer stiffened. "What's that?"

Mars looked at the unmoving Senshi, noticing the way her fingers were digging into her palms and the way she'd become utterly still. "It's like our soulmates, right?"

Fighter considered the word before nodding. "It's the same concept, yes."

Healer was on her feet in a flash. "Not another word. They're not our allies; we don't owe them an explanation. It's time for us to go."

For a moment, Sailor Moon dared to hope they wouldn't. Fighter hesitated, not quite following her friend but not really staying either. Maker didn't bother with indecision; she followed her teammate automatically and they were quickly out of sight. The blonde took a half-step forward, hand extended toward the other girl, but she turned and ran off.

Mars huffed indignantly. "She obviously wants to work with us, so I don't know what the point of this constant denial is. And what do Healer and Maker have against us?"

Sailor Moon shook her head. "I wish I knew. What do we do with this one, though?" The little girl had fallen asleep on her shoulder and the victims hadn't woken up yet, so she tugged on her broach and melted back into civilian form. Mars did the same, trading her Senshi uniform for her school one. She'd just been leaving archery club when the call came in.

"She might be the one the monster came for," Rei suggested. "If she's as 'bright' as Healer claimed."

"You don't believe her?"

The miko sighed. "She didn't seem to be lying, but I've never heard of an ability that could identify us through our glamours. I don't know."

"We should take her to Zoisite. He can find her family and we'll be able to figure something out from there."

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"What do you mean she doesn't exist?!"

To his credit, Zoisite didn't wince when Rei shouted almost in his ear. He kept his gaze trained on Usagi and the child in her arms. "Without a name, it is not easy to find someone, but I have checked birth certificates from all over Japan and every foreign arrival since her approximate birth date and none of them are for a girl with red hair and blue eyes. I can keep looking, but I see little reason to be optimistic. At the moment I would take Healer's statement into serious consideration; she may be similar to Chibiusa-sama."

"A time traveler?" Usagi wondered. "She seems a little young, don't you think? And Pluto didn't mention anyone coming."

"Pluto has not been at the Door permanently for some time, so it is possible for a skilled individual to slip through unnoticed."

"A two year old probably doesn't have that sort of power," Rei observed dryly.

"Indeed. Still, the idea of her being a magic user is worth exploring. The question is what to do with her in the meantime."

The blonde frowned. "I guess I can take her home with me. Mama and I can make excuses, and if she does have some sort of power she's better off with us."

Zoisite nodded. "You are sure you do not feel anything from her, Rei-sama?"

"Nothing. As far as I can tell, she's totally human."

"I will keep looking for her family, but I doubt I will find anything. I will also research this peculiar light Sailor Star Healer spoke of; it may be important."

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Rei wasn't sure why, but something about Healer having a sixth sense she didn't really grated on her nerves. She was supposed to be the Seer; shouldn't she be able to see this aura that distinguished between people with or without magic?

She had walked Usagi and the new girl home. About halfway there, the child had woken up. They tried asking her about her mother, where she was from, anything that could have been helpful, but all she did was cock her head to one side and say "Chibi?" It was exasperating, but at least they'd decided on what to call her – Chibi Chibi. Once they reached the Tsukino residence, Rei had managed to reawaken the amnesia spell Chibiusa had used on Kenji and Shingo so they'd think she was part of the family. Ikuko had taken to the little girl at once, fussing over her like a mother hen. Once she was sure her best friend would be alright for the day, Rei headed home herself. Her own little family was expecting her.

It was strange, she thought. For the longest time, all she'd had was her grandpa, and he was great, but he was only one person. Then Yuuichiro came to the shrine and became as much a part of it as she was. She hadn't expected him to stay, and she certainly hadn't expected him to leave his family's fortune behind to take over when her grandfather was too old to continue as the head priest. She thought of him almost like an older brother, though she was aware of his crush on her. She just hoped he'd be able to move past it.

Jomei, though. Of all the surprises her complicated life had brought, he was the biggest. For a long time, she'd been convinced that men didn't matter. Remembering Jadeite hadn't done her any favors. He was dead and gone, even if his body was still around. It was the other Jadeite that had really convinced her she'd never want someone else, so she'd resigned herself to belonging solely to Usagi. Jomei's reappearance had turned everything upside down. He was real, he was alive, and despite everything he still loved her. He was willing to stand up to her father, to leave his family. He fought for her. She knew that part of it was the bond they'd shared a thousand years ago, but she didn't think that was why they were together. That was why they hadn't reformed their link, despite all their friends hadn't done so. They wanted to be together in the here and now instead of relying on the past and magic.

Rei had been so caught up in her thoughts she didn't realize something was wrong until a goon showed up at her side and shoved her toward a car. She growled and went to punch him, but she realized who was inside and dug in her heels instead. She wanted nothing to do with her father and planned on making it difficult.

"Rei, don't be an idiot and get into the car," he said coldly. "You should know better than to make a scene. A girl your size couldn't possibly beat a man like him normally. Do you want to out yourself?"

She was tempted to do it anyway just to prove she could, but it wasn't worth the potential backlash. Angry, she let her father's minion steer her into the seat opposite the senator, a fierce glare firmly cemented on her face. It only intensified when she saw Kaidou next to him – Kaidou, who had been his secretary. Kaidou, who had been her first crush as a girl. Kaidou, who had chosen to marry someone else and broke her childish heart. She almost hated him at that moment. Forcing it back, she focused her anger on her father. She could hardly believe he'd told someone about her.

"Isn't kidnapping a little beneath you?" she spat. "Normally you send one of your little slaves to fetch me for you. Or do I matter more now that you know what I can do?"

"Actually, it's your poor behavior that merited my personal attention," Senator Hino replied as calmly as if he was ordering a meal. "We really can't have you misbehaving like this. Imagine what it would do to my career if people found out about you."

"Right," she sneered. "We wouldn't want the people to know about your daughter the hero. What part was it you disliked, again? My saving lives? My being one of the most admired people in the country?"

"The uniform, for one thing. It is _very _unseemly for a senator's daughter to expose herself so blatantly."

Rei was seriously considering punching him in his smug face. A broken nose would mess with his precious image enough to be worth whatever he did in retaliation. She frowned when, perhaps sensing the direction of her thoughts, Kaidou shifted into a defensive posture. Determined to come out on top, she managed to relax into a more casual pose. There was nothing she could do about the glare, though. That was staying.

"If you wanted to have this conversation in hopes of convincing me to give up being Mars, you're wasting both of our time. I _am_ Mars. It's not like a title I can hand over to someone else; I was born this way. It's my job to fight and I'm good at it. Nothing you can say will ever change what I am."

"I would rather you be reasonable about this. You can marry Kaidou-san like you always wanted and be a good, dutiful daughter. You could put this entire messy business behind you."

She frowned. "Kaidou got engaged years ago. You arranged it, remember?"

"She died," Kaidou said softly.

Rei flinched. She might have a grudge where he was concerned, but no one deserved to lose someone like that and he'd seemed legitimately fond of the girl. "I'm sorry." He nodded as she turned back to her father. "That doesn't change anything, though. I'm not going to fall in line with your idiotic plans. I may have wanted to marry Kaidou once, but it was a long time ago and I'm not that girl anymore. I won't be a political pawn and even if you managed to make me I'd still be Mars. I always will."

"Is there anything I could say to persuade you?"

"_Nothing_ could get you want you want from me."

"Then I'm sorry it had to come to this."

Before she could react, the security guard she'd hardly noticed on her other side lunged forward and plunged a hypodermic needle into her arm. The effect was almost immediate. Her head spun as the drug destroyed her grasp on her psychic powers. Visions welled up until she couldn't see anything else. To their misfortune, this assault on her mind only served to trigger her soldier's instincts. The guard was rewarded with a single sharp jab to the throat. It wasn't enough to do permanent damage, but he was out for the count. Her father received the next blow, and his eye was already blackening as she turned on Kaidou. She lunged for him, but the momentary impediment of her seatbelt was enough for her father to manage a second needle. This one dragged her under.

The last thing she remembered was her friends screaming and dying.

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AN: Wow, that's a depressing note to end the chapter on. Nonetheless, it's what felt right. And it was partially for a reviewer who mentioned not wanting to have someone die every chapter. See, I can be nice sometimes. Anyway, I tried to explore some of the deeper feelings among the team and to take a look at why Healer, despite her soothing powers, is such an ass. Also, to clarify, I'm assuming that the Three Lights use something like the Luna Pen or Minako's Crescent Compact to assume male form. They are still unequivocally female, so I'm probably going to make Seiya a friend and not a potential love interest. As always, I want to know what everyone thought – especially since most of this was done in a hurry – so please please review. Till next time!


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